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Lexikon

portability

erating system, programming> The ease with which a piece of software (or ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=file format">file format) can be "ported", i.e. made to run on a new ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=platform">platform and/or compile with a new ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=compiler">compiler. The most important factor is the language in which the software is written and the most portable language is almost certainly ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=C">C (though see ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=Vaxocentrism">Vaxocentrism for counterexamples). This is true in the sense that C compilers are available for most systems and are often the first compiler provided for a new system. This has led several compiler writers to compile other languages to C code in order to benefit from its portability (as well as the quality of compilers available for it). The least portable type of language is obviously {assembly code} since it is specific to one particular (family of) ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=processor">processor(s). It may be possible to translate mechanically from one assembly code (or even ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=machine code">machine code) into another but this is not really portability. At the other end of the scale would come ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=interpreted">interpreted or ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=semi-compiled">semi-compiled languages such as ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=LISP">LISP or ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=Java">Java which rely on the availability of a portable ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=interpreter">interpreter or ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=virtual machine">virtual machine written in a lower level language (often C for the reasons outlined above). The act or result of porting a program is called a "port". e.g. "I' ve nearly finished the ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=Pentium">Pentium port of my big bang simulation." Portability is also an attribute of ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=file formats">file formats and depends on their adherence to ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=standards">standards (e.g. ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=ISO 8859">ISO 8859) or the availability of the relevant "viewing" software for different ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=platforms">platforms (e.g. ef="module.php?name=Lexikon&file=search&eid=1&query=PDF">PDF). (1997-06-18)

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Free On-line Dictionary of Computing

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